19 years ago John Unger rescued Schoep when he was only 8 months old. Over the years, they’ve shared plenty of adventures together, John says that the dog saved him from suicide after a failed relationship. When Schoep developed arthritis in his legs, the pain made it difficult for the dog to sleep. After finding out that the buoyancy of water helps soothe his arthritic bones, John started taking Schoep to Lake Superior, cradling the dog in his arm in the warm water to let him sleep for a while.

This photo was from a last minute session. We had been trying to get together for weeks, but it kept not happening because of my travel schedule for Stonehouse. We finally got together last Tuesday (the 31st). I had about 5 minutes to shoot and this is what I caught — a man and his dog. John loving his Schoep, and Schoep trusting John so much he falls asleep in the buoyancy of the water. This is in no way posed – I hate posed photos – they never, ever capture the true essence of anything.

Thousands have shared this photograph after it was posted on Facebook last week. Happy to hear that by this posting, an anonymous donor has volunteered to provide Schoep with laser treatment for his arthritis at a local animal hospital.